Percale sheeting fabric from which fine luxury percale bedsheets and pillowcases are produced is characterized by a plain weave construction of a high thread count of at least about 180 threads per square inch. Formerly, percale sheets were formed from 100 percent cotton fibers, but today nearly all percale sheets are of the permanent press type and formed of a blend of polyester and cotton fibers, with the cotton usually comprising about half but sometimes as little as 35 percent of the weight of the fabric.
The polyester fibers are included in the polyester and cotton blend sheeting fabric to reduce cost and to improve the strength, durability, dimensional stability, and wash and wear performance of the fabric. However, because of the reduced amount of cotton fiber, the polyester and cotton blend sheeting fabrics generally have a less luxurious appearance and feel than all cotton sheeting fabrics, and are less absorbent and consequently less comfortable than all cotton sheeting fabrics.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a polyester and cellulosic fiber sheeting fabric having certain physical and aesthetic characteristics which are more luxurious than and superior to the characteristics of the fiber blend sheeting fabrics which are presently known.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a percale sheeting fabric of polyester and cellulosic fiber construction which more effectively utilizes the beneficial properties of the cellulosic fiber as compared to conventional polyester and cotton blend fabric constructions so as to provide a greatly increased moisture absorbency rate for enhanced comfort, and with enhanced cover, bulk, and opacity.